


His Mother's Song

by Katiechat (ladykateofledfordpark)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mentioned Emilie Agreste, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Pre-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:28:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23200963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladykateofledfordpark/pseuds/Katiechat
Summary: Adrien asks for Marinette’s help with a dilemma. She agrees, and at his home she learns something she never knew about him.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Emilie Agreste, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Emilie Agreste, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 4
Kudos: 89





	His Mother's Song

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Emilie Agreste is mentioned and her death is somewhat implied, so take that into consideration.

"Marinette."

His friend lifted her head. Creases of worry adorned her face as she scanned him silently. "Adrien, is something wrong?"

He swallowed. Hesitantly, he took a wrinkled suit out of his bag. Marinette watched carefully as he unfolded it to reveal a barely-detectable hole in the chest area.

"I ruined this," Adrien confessed, "and I was wondering if you could help me fix it. It's for a photoshoot tomorrow afternoon, which means I'd be happy to work on it today. If you don't mind, that is."

Marinette glanced toward Alya, who was supposedly in the middle of a conversation with Nino. Once their eyes met, her best friend gave an enthusiastic thumbs up accompanied by a nod.

"This is your chance, girl!" she mouthed.

Marinette glanced back at Adrien, and was surprised to see that he was still focused on her. Behind him she could see a furious Chloe, and a bitter Lila shot scathing coals in Marinette’s direction. It almost seemed like he didn’t notice the other girls, like maybe...

No, it couldn’t be.

Marinette forced herself to focus back on Adrien. He bit his lip as he waited for her answer, his hands absentmindedly playing with his ring.

Something about this made the butterflies in her stomach disappear. Her heart softened, and a warm smile rose to her face.

"Of course."

Adrien's body slackened. A relieved smile lit his face, and his eyes twinkled like she just granted him the deepest happiness. "Thank you."

As he walked away, Marinette's certainty faded. She was happy to help, but there was still the matter of her spending time alone with him.

Maybe she should have said no.

"Alya!" Marinette rushed to her feet. "Help!"

This was a very bad idea.

\---------

Adrien watched as Marinette studied the suit he had given her. It was the same one he wore with her feathered hat so long ago. A long time passed since that day, but for some reason he still found this close to his heart. 

Marinette bit her lip as she ran her hand over the black fabric beside it, checking that they truly were the same kind. She mumbled some words under her breath as she looked between the black fabrics, deep in thought.

It was the first time he saw such a side to Marinette. For some reason, it seemed almost familiar. Almost like...

His heart jumped. No, it couldn’t be. Could it?

“Adrien? Is something wrong?”

He straightened his posture. “No. Everything’s fine.”

The creases on Marinette’s forehead deepened, but she didn’t say a word.

“So how did this happen? Any exciting stories?”

Adrien hid his smile as his eyes fell on Plagg. His kwami gave a strong shake of his head, desperately begging him not to say a word. 

He chuckled. It’s not like he could tell Marinette anyway.

“A friend made it. He... really loves camembert. Maybe a bit too much.”

Marinette giggled. “How does that even happen?”

He shrugged. “He’s known for his destructive powers.”

The truth was, Adrien didn’t even know exactly how Plagg did it. The kwami didn't say a word, no matter how much his owner tried to bribe him. Adrien wasn't happy with the ruined suit, but... it was nice to spend some extra time with Marinette. He couldn't complain about that.

Adrien's smile widened as he ran a hand over his desk. Maybe he would give Plagg that extra-special cheese after all.

His eyes drifted back to his friend. She was once again focused on the suit, her blue eyes scanning the materials she held. As she started patching the suit, her tongue stuck out in concentration. A stray strand of hair fell down her cheek, and for some reason Adrien‘s fingers itched to tuck it in place.

He took a shaky breath. Something was definitely wrong with him.

"I'm almost finished," Marinette announced after a long silence. "After that I think I'll go home."

Adrien’s breath caught. "Please stay. I don't often get to have friends over. I’d love it if you keep me company for a while longer."

Marinette's eyes finally met his. Her features softened, and an understanding smile rose to her face. "Okay."

She took the suit back, and absentmindedly started humming as she worked. Adrien smiled as he watched her: every movement of her fingers was precise, every action well thought-out.

And her voice awoke a deep yearning inside him.

"Your voice... it's really beautiful, Marinette," Adrien whispered.

His friend froze. Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment, her eyes uncertain. "T-thank you."

Adrien nodded. Without a second thought, his hand reached out for his mother's picture. He traced her image with loving fingers, before hesitantly handing it over to Marinette. She took it with shaking hands, her eyes slowly taking her in.

“She was really beautiful.”

Adrien couldn’t meet Marinette’s gaze. “She was.”

Marinette moved toward him, her words more tender than before. “Are you sure this is okay?”

Adrien froze as she lay a comforting hand on his. He met Marinette’s eyes, and something about them gave him the answer. “It is.” 

He put the frame back in Marinette’s hand. “Take it.”

“Really?”

Adrien tightened his hold on the frame. “It is. I don’t get to talk about her much. But with you it’s different. I feel like you’ll understand.”

“Adrien-”

“Can I tell you something about her?”

There was no hesitation when she spoke. “Of course.”

Adrien smiled gratefully. "Every night, my mother would sing the same lullaby. It went something like this."

Adrien glanced out the window, where night gradually painted the sky. Finding the right melody wasn’t the hard part. It was engraved deep inside him, as much a part of him as his emerald eyes. 

The hard part was bringing it to life. This melody felt almost sacred at this point, like something intended only for memories. But so was the topic of his mother, and Adrien needed to tell someone about her. Even if it was hard.

He started with the first note. And then the second, and then the third. Gradually, the notes turned into a melody Adrien knew too well. It was different, yet similar to every other time. He didn’t have his mother beside him in this moment, but he did have someone he could trust. Someone who made this harsh reality so much better.

By the time Adrien finished, Marinette’s eyes were filled with tears. They fell down her face and landed on the suit, coloring it an even darker shade of black. The tears soaked through the fabric, but Adrien didn't mind that his suit was getting ruined. He was just happy in this moment.

Once her tears dried, Marinette smiled kindly at him. Hesitantly, she reached for his hand, giving a small squeeze before letting go. "Thank you for telling me about this. It means a lot."

Adrien gave a sheepish grin. "Thank you for always being here for me."

A rosy tint colored her cheeks. "That's what friends are for."

If only he knew why those words bothered him as much as they did.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a kudos and comment if you liked it!  
> For more, you can find me on Tumblr under [katiechat](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/katiechat)!  
> And if you ever want to join a wonderful Miraculous community on Discord, you're welcome to join [Miraculous Fanworks](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)! It's a community full of artists, writers, and readers of all ages from the Miraculous Ladybug fandom! I've had so much fun since I joined, and I'd love to see you there! <3


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